Innovate
November 27, 2018
Revving Up the Immune System to Fight Lung Cancer
Like many people who have been diagnosed with lung cancer, Jodi R. had no trouble breathing and no pain. She didn’t know that lung cancer was growing in her body until she was on vacation in Alaska and began to cough up blood. “That made me think I better get go to the doctor. I […]
Read MoreAugust 10, 2018
Using Viruses to Attack Cancer May Help Stimulate the Immune System
New studies are finding a surprising potential ally in the fight against cancer: certain deadly viruses. In fact, since the late 1800s, doctors have observed that some cancer patients with viral infections have gone into remission, even though the reprieve was mostly temporary. The relationship may seem counterintuitive, but today researchers believe the cause and effect may […]
Read MoreMay 2, 2018
Focused Radiation May Help Turn On the Immune System
Much of the buzz over doctors’ ability to harness the power of the immune system to fight cancer has focused on targeted treatments—drugs designed to zero in on specific properties of cancer cells, disrupting their signals and exposing them to an immune attack. Now, researchers are discovering that these and other immunotherapy drugs may be even more powerful […]
Read MoreApril 3, 2018
Why Robotic Surgery is ‘the Way of the Future’
Patients with cancers of the head and neck have long been faced with a daunting reality: because of the delicate anatomy of the face, neck and throat, tumors located in these sensitive areas of the body are often difficult to remove, especially without extensive damage to the jaw, nose or other affected features. But recent […]
Read MoreJanuary 10, 2018
New Approach Shows Faster Recovery After Surgery
Many runners swear by a practice called carb-loading, or bulking up on carbohydrate-rich food before a long race, as a way to fortify their bodies, prevent them from breaking down in the middle of the run and guard against injuries that will haunt them afterward. Much like those advance preparations, evolving pre-surgery programs are helping […]
Read MoreDecember 10, 2017
A Blood Test That Can Tell You About Your Cancer
At the root of most cancer diagnoses is a biopsy, the surgical procedure used to remove a tumor so it can be examined for the presence of cancer cells. Doctors often rely on biopsies to help make an assessment of a cancer’s malignancy, stage, origin and DNA mutations that may be targeted with treatments. Some biopsies are minimally invasive; others may be […]
Read MoreNovember 12, 2017
The Time Has Come to Screen for Lung Cancer
November’s designation as National Lung Cancer Awareness Month offers a timely opportunity to continue a national conversation about the need for early detection and screening. Lung cancer is the second most common non-skin cancer among American men and women, after prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women. As with most cancers, when lung […]
Read MoreNovember 12, 2017
Using Viruses to Help Fight Cancer
Most often when you think of a virus, you may think of a cold or the flu, illnesses you try to avoid. New research may change that perspective because recent studies show that certain viruses can actually be a powerful weapon in the body’s fight against cancer. The class of viruses, called oncolytic viruses, attack […]
Read MoreOctober 9, 2017
Know Your Options for Breast Reconstruction
If you’ve had, or are scheduled to have, surgery as part of your breast cancer treatment, breast reconstruction is an option to help restore the shape of your breast, improving quality of life and self-esteem for some women. It’s estimated that only 23 percent of women understand the many options for reconstruction, which vary depending […]
Read MoreSeptember 8, 2017
Genetic Testing May Help Identify Medications More Likely to Work for You
Do you ever wonder why one medication works for one patient but not another? The answer may lie in pharmacogenomics. This growing area of personalized medicine studies how a person’s unique genetic makeup influences his or her response to pharmaceutical drugs and medications. “Just as our genes determine our blood type and eye color, they […]
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